The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-04-01
4 elRl euLL.EloHrER.
The PeriIous Feat Performed by !
Mexican Senortta.

s CNS RAAOA W ~ bdhlLS OhOSb Va AAAN
decree against bull-fighting | was for
tunate enongh to witness a contest in
which n of the most skillful, daring,
expert of the professional fighters OF
Mexico took a leading part, Writ
City of Mexico correspondent of
Indianapolis Journal. This performer
was a young woman, whose equal has
probably lever appeard in the ''Plaza
de Toros." In this, her farewell exhi-
bition, Senorita Hernandez advertised
for the widest and ~fiercest bulls the
country could produce, and agreed to
fight them while wearing stills. The
novelty of a young girl engaging in q
bullfght handicapped by having stills
fastened t. her feet was sufficient to
attract o vast crowd, and on the day
fixed for the event, fnlly five thousand
persons found places to sit or stand in
the large ~ampitheatre. The animals
provided for the occasion were small,
active, and wholly untameI, each hav-
ing his horns trimed and polished, In
til the points were as bright and almost
as sharp as needles. Never was more
expert work done in this cruel sport
than wa coolly performed by the Mex
lean girl that day. AS the bull, mad
with rage, would make his furious
charge, she would stand until he had
approached within a distance of about
three feet, when, suddenly s%pringing to
one side, she would, as the animal
rushed furiously by, with n hand slap
him in the face with the red cloak with
which his anger had first been aroused,
while with the other hand she dexter
ously thrust into his neck a gaudy barb
ed ''banderilla," causing him to roar
with pain and rage. Charge after
charge was made by the maddened
brute, only to be eluded by the active
girl, while the bull met the same treat
ment as before. The little senorita
played with him, plagued him, and tor
tured him as a cat would a mouse, I'M
til the animal, bleeding and sore aud
worm out with fatigue and pain, gave
up the contest and would fight no
more. He had met his conquerer, and
was taken from the ring.
In the next contest the fair Castilian
was under an advertised obligation,
while yet wearing the stills, to kill the
bull with a sword scarcely more than
two feet in length. This was to be
done by the toreadora at the time the
animal was making the charge, the
fatal thrust to be given while she wa
directly in front of and fairly facing
the bull.
The animal selected for this contest
was a beautiful specimen Of his race.
Black as coal, agile as a cat, savage
and wild, he was no sooner within the
arena than he was ready for the battle.
After he had been permitted to make a
charge or two to warm him to his
work, the governor, who presided on
the occasion, gave a signal and the
bugle sounded the 'death CALI The
~senorita, with stills of one foot in
height securely fastened to her limbs,
received tie short sword, saluted the
governor, and, turning to her enemy,
gave a shout of defiance and waved her
scarlet cloak to rouse his anger. All
this time the distance separating the
the antagonists was almost two hun
bred feet. Toro, quivering with ex-
element and paving the earth il his
rage, waited for no second invitation.
With flashing eyes and head lowered to
the ground, he started at full speed for
the object of his hate. The brave g.rl
waited until the beast was within TWEEN
ty feet. when, bracing herself firmly,
she held her sword at shoulder height.
ready for his coming. When within
about four feet she threw her body sud-
denly forward, gave a quick thrust with
her sword, and, without waiting to see
the effect of the blow, swung quickly
around and again saluted the governor.
In the twinkling of ain eye she turned
to face the bull, and as she did so he
dropped dead. SO close to her that,
without moving from her position, she
placed one foot upon the neck Of her
helpless enemy.
The sword. directed by the strong
arm Of the self-possessed girl, had sew
cred the spinal cord, and death was
instantaneous and probably painless.
II was a perilous feat, skillfully and
fearlessly performed, and the slightest
.no.. - tha na.t af +ha 49,